Flash Gordon isn’t going to just save the universe, but he will be saving your 4K home theater setup as well.
The classic 1980 adaptation of the Alex Raymond comic strip Flash Gordon has gotten a 4K restoration which will be hitting home video this summer in time to celebrate the film’s 40th anniversary. To announce the August 3 release of the newly restored film which starred Sam Jones as the titular all-American pulp hero, Studio Canal released the following trailer.
The film will come in three different editions which have an increasing amount of additional special features.
Flash Gordon Single-Disc Release (4K UHD, Blu-ray or DVD)
New Lost in Space: Nic Roeg’s Flash Gordon (also iTunes extra)
Audio commentary with Mike Hodges
Audio commentary with Brian Blessed
Behind the scenes of Flash Gordon
Stills gallery (also iTunes extra)
Storyboards gallery (also iTunes extra)
Original theatrical trailer
Flash Gordon 2-Disc Special Edition
Everything in the single-disc release, as well as the following special features:
Interview with Mike Hodges
Interview with comic book artist Alex Ross TBC
Interview with screenwriter Lorenzo Semple, Jr. TBC
Episode 24 of Flash Gordon (1979-1982): The Survival Game / Gremlin’s Finest Hour
Sam Jones’s acting start
Entertainment Earth on Flash Gordon merchandise
Bob Lindenmayer discusses deleted scenes and original endings
35th Anniversary Greenroom
35th Anniversary reunion featurette
Renato Casaro extended interview
Brian Blessed anecdotes
Melody’s musings
On the soundtrack (Brian May & Howard Blake)
Easter Eggs
Flash Gordon 5-Disc Collector’s Edition
Everything included on the 2-disc special edition, as well as the following bonus discs and items:
Bonus Blu-Ray Disc of LIFE AFTER FLASH, the 2017 feature documentary celebrating the film and it’s star
Original soundtrack by Queen & Howard Blake
32 page booklet
16 page Titan mini book (The Story of Flash Gordon)
Reproduced booklet of the first strip of original comic books
Poster of original artwork
4 artcards of various incarnations of Flash film posters across the years
1 sew-on ‘Flash patch’
Some of these special features are carryovers from previous home video iterations of the film. The two commentary tracks from director Mike Hodges and actor Brian Blessed and the Hodges interview are from previous British releases of the film, while the Alex Ross and Lorenzo Semple Jr interviews are from a previous US blu-ray release.
Now it should be noted that as of right now this is strictly a UK-only release and playable only on Region B or all-region blue-ray players. However, it is most likely that this edition will be picked up by a distributor for US consumers as well.
